This study examines emotional interaction within virtual competitive group activity. The participants are 5 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players who belong to the same team. The study is an observational study in a naturalistic setting that utilizes an inductive- deductive approach. The study uses a methodology developed specifically for video-based research as well as Ethnomethodological conversation analysis (EMCA). The data consists of video and audio recorded on the participants’ computers during a match. The results illustrate how players utilize emotional interactions in different ways during a virtual competitive group activity. The interpretations of the data were based on two theories: The Emotions as temporal interpersonal system (TIES) model and the Emotions as social information (EASI) model. Using the TIES model, instances of co-regulation and co-dysregulation in the participants’ interactions during the match are explored. Using the EASI model, the participants’ use of emotions as information was examined. Our interpretations indicate that players use emotions in their interactions during a virtual competitive group activity and partake in interactions where the emotional content escalates and de-escalates. We suggest that these findings should be taken into consideration when developing training programmes for esports athletes and that further research on emotional interactions within competitive virtual context is possible. / Den här studien utforskar kooperativ emotionell interaktion inom virtuell tävlingsinriktad gruppaktivitet. Deltagarna är 5 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) spelare som tillhör samma team. Studien är en observationell studie i en naturalistisk miljö. Studien använder sig av ett induktiv-deduktivt förhållningssätt. Materialet analyserades med hjälp av en metodologi utvecklad speciellt för analys av video samt en kombination av etnometodologi och samtalsanalys (EMCA). Materialet bestod av ljud och videoinspelningar under en match. Resultatet illustrerar hur spelarna på olika sätt använder sig av emotionella interaktioner under en virtuell tävlingsinriktad gruppaktivitet. Tolkningarna av data gjordes utifrån två teorier: Emotioner som temporalt interpersonellt emotionssystem (TIES) och Emotioner som social information (EASI). Med hjälp av TIES-modellen utforskar studien exempel på samreglering (co-regulation) och samdysreglering (co-dysregulation) i deltagarnas interaktioner under matchen. Med hjälp av EASI-modellen, utforskades deltagarnas användning av emotioner som information. Våra tolkningar tyder på att spelare använder sig av emotioner i sina interaktioner under en virtuell tävlingsinriktad gruppaktivitet och deltar i interaktioner där det emotionella innehållet eskalerar och de-eskalerar. Vi föreslår att hänsyn borde tas till dessa resultat i utvecklingen av träningsprogram för atleter inom esport samt att vidare forskning kring emotionella interaktioner inom virtuell tävlingsinriktad kontext är möjlig.

Intresset av att uppföra byggnader i trä har ökat i kombination med att kunskapen inom ämnet har vuxit. KL-T är träskivor som kan formas efter behov, balkar, pelare, bjälklag samt väggar kan samtliga utföras som KL-T element. Ration mellan hållfasthet och vikt är en aspekt som har bidragit till att entreprenörer och konstruktörer ser fördelar med att bygga i just trä. KL-T är en produkt som begränsar träets svagheter i olika fiberriktningar eftersom lamellerna limmas korsvis. Den snabbt ökande användningen av KL-T har lämnat kunskapsluckor inom vissa områden och en av dessa kunskapsluckor är hur robustheten i en byggnad kan ökas för att hantera olyckslaster. Fortskridande ras uppstår när ett lokalt brott skapar ras i omkringliggande bärverk för att sedan fortplanta sig från element till element, vilket leder till kollaps av hela eller en del av byggnaden. För att motverka detta ska en viss nivå av robusthet i byggnaden uppnås. Det finns olika metoder att skapa robusthet i en byggnad, ett av dessa sätt är att sammanbinda bärverk med bjälklag och väggar med dragband enligt bilaga A i SS-EN-1991-1-7. Metoden benämns Indirekt Metod och är frekvent använd i branschen för alla typer av konstruktioner, men för betongkonstruktioner är den betydligt mer välutvecklad med generella metoder för sammanfogning. Hur vertikala och horisontella dragband bör utformas i en KL-T konstruktion är ett område som är i behov av tydliga metoder som uppfyller kapacitetskraven som regelverken ställer. Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för det nu gällande regelverket samt ge konkreta exempel på hur dragband kan utföras för att möta de nya kraven som EKS 11 medförde. Syftet är även att visa vad den Indirekta Metoden är och hur kraven uppfylls med hjälp av den. Studien visar kapaciteten för tre olika förbandstyper satta i scenarion där de nyttjas som vertikala samt horisontella dragband, både i och längsmed upplagslinje. Beräkningar visar att de olika förbandstyperna beter sig olika beroende av vilket dragband de sammanfogar med övrigt bärverk sam vilken placering i byggnaden de har. Vidare diskuteras kapacitetskrav och formlers anpassning för KL-T konstruktioner. För att skapa förutsättningar som branschen kan ta till sig behöver reducering av minimikraven för dragbandskapacitet utföras på ett mer tydligt sätt när dimensionering mot olyckslaster ska genomföras med den Indirekta Metoden för konstruktioner med låg egentyngd. / The interest to build in wood has increased in combination with grown knowledge in the subject. CL-T are wooden board that can be shaped in many different form, beams, pillars, wall and floor elements can all be made as CL-T elements. Ration between strength and weight is one aspect that has contributed entrepreneurs and designers to see the benefits of building in wood. CL-T is a product that reduce the weaknesses of the wood in different fiber directions since the slats are glued together crosswise. The rapidly increasing use of CL-T has left knowledge gaps, one of these knowledge gaps is how the robustness of a building can be increased to handle accident loads. Progressive collapse occurs when a local failure creates a collapse in surrounding structural elements and then propagate from element to element, leading to collapse of whole or part of the building. To counteract this a certain level of robustness must be achieved. There are various methods to create robustness in a building, one of these methods are to tie the walls to the floor with tension ties as described in Appendix A of SS-EN-1991-1-7. This method is called indirect method and is frequently used today for all types of structures. But for concrete structures it is considerably more well developed with general methods of how to tie the structure together. How vertical and horizontal ties should be designed in a CL-T construction need distinct methods that meets meet the capacity requirement set by the regulations. The purpose of the thesis is to create and understanding of the current regulations and to provide concrete examples of how tension ties can be carried out to meet the new requirements in EKS 11. It should also show what the indirect method is and how the requirements are met using it. The thesis shows the capacity of three different types and tension ties set in scenarios where they are used as both vertical and horizontal ties. Calculations show that the different types of ties behave differently depending on if they act a vertical or horizontal tie and which location in the building they have. Furthermore, the capacity requirements and the formulas adaption to CL-T designs are discussed. To create conditions that the industry can take on, reduction of the minimum requirements for tie capacity in constructions with a lightweight structural system needs to be made clearer when dimensioning against accidental loads with the indirect method.

Bakgrund: 2010 presenterade SCB en undersökning om hur 403 000 jobb tillsattes (GP 2010). 79 000 av dessa tjänster tillsattes via personliga kontakter och ytterligare 100 000 där arbetsgivaren själv kontaktade den arbetssökande. Denna trend i användandet av det sociala kontaktnätet får stöd av Lena Hensvik, doktorand i nationalekonomi, i tidskriften Framtider (2012). Hon skriver att den sociala omgivningen såsom grannar, skolkamrater, tidigare kollegor och föräldrar har stor betydelse för hur vi får anställning eller inte. Hon menar att kontaktnätet är en viktig självinvestering då vårdandet av ens nätverk uppenbarligen kan underlätta jobbsökandet. Hensvik (2012) fortsätter skriva att det i dagens samhälle inte bara handlar om vem du är utan även vem du känner. Syfte: Tidigare forskning berättar att personliga kontakter är en av de faktorer som ökar anställningsbarheten. Vi vill därför ta vid där tidigare forskning slutar och göra en mer inriktad studie där vi fokuserar på personliga kontakter och kartlägger dess effekt i praktiken. Vi ämnar därför förklara personliga kontakters betydelse i samband med nyanställning av civilekonomer med examen från 2007-2012. Metod: Vi har valt att genomföra vår studie med en kvantitativ undersökningsdesign och ett deduktivt synsätt på relationen teori och forskning. Empiriska data har insamlats genom enkätundersökning. Slutsats: Vår slutsats är att personliga kontakter är användbara för civilekonomer i anställningsprocessen, att kontakterna till 90,4% leder dem till minst intervju och att kontakterna inte nödvändigtvis är de som är definierade som svaga, se Granovetters (1973, 1975) teorier om The Strength of Weak Ties. / Background: In 2010 SCB presented a survey of how 403 000 jobs were added (GP 2010). 79 000 of these were added through social contacts and another 100 000 by the employer himself who contacted the unemployed. This trend of using social contacts in the job-seeking process gets support by Hensvik, doctor in economics. In the magazine Framtider (2012) she writes that the social environment such as neighbours, class mates, former colleagues and parents have a big impact if we get an employment or not. Hensvik (2012) says that the caring of ones contacts is an important self-investment that improves your probabilities of getting an employment. She continues writing that in today’s society it’s not only important who you are but also who you know. Purpose: Previous research tells that social contacts are one of the factors that will improve your probabilities of getting employed. We will continue where previous research tends to end and aim for a more focused study where we measure the effects of using contacts in reality. The purpose of this thesis is to explain the contacts’ importance when employing former students with a Degree of Master of Science in Business and Economics. Method: We have conducted a questionnaire survey that was sent out to eight Swedish universities resulting in 100 responses. Conclusion: We have come to the conclusion that social contacts contribute in the recruitment process of former business students, that the use of contacts in 90,4% will get you far in the job-seeking process and that the helpful contacts are not necessarily the ones defined as weak ties, of which Granovetter (1973, 1975) would have argued.

Huvudsyftet med vår studie är att undersöka och analysera hur personal i hemtjänsten upplever sin arbetssituation samt vad relationerna till arbetskamrater respektive brukare kan ha för betydelse för denna upplevelse. Vi har därför valt en kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer, som bygger på intervjupersonernas egna upplevelser av sin verklighet. Vårt övergripande perspektiv på studien är socialpedagogiken. Den teoretiska ramen består sociala nätverk, samt begreppen gemenskap och tunna nätverksband. Datamaterialet som insamlats har kodats, kategoriserats, tematiserats och analyserats i förhållande till tidigare forskning och de teoretiska perspektiven. Vår studies resultat pekar på att personalen inom hemtjänsten upplever att de har ett bra och givande arbete, där kontakten med brukarna upplevs som mycket positiv och som själva anledningen att gå till arbetet. Personalen beskriver även att arbetsgruppen har stor betydelse och att det är till sina arbetskamrater som de vänder sig för att få stöd. Studiens resultat visar tydligt att relationerna är viktiga för individens uppfattning av sin arbetssituation. / The main purpose with our study is to examine and analyze how staff in home care services perceive their work situation as well as in what way relations with colleagues or clients may have an impact on this experience. We have chosen a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, which builds on the experience of the interviewed individuals. Our main perspective in this study is the social pedagogy. The theoretical frame consists of social networks and the concepts community and thin networks. The collected data has been coded, categorized, thematised and analyzed in relation to former research and the theoretical perspectives. Our study results indicates that the personnel in home care services feels that they have a good and rewarding work. The contact with the users is experienced as very positive and as the main reason for them to go to work. The personnel also describe the working group as very important and it is to the colleagues they turn to get support. The result of this study clearly shows that relations are of great importance for the individuals understanding of their work situation.

Eine der zentralen Aufgaben der Geodäsie liegt in der Definition und der Realisierung von geeigneten Referenzsystemen. Die Realisierung eines globalen terrestrischen Referenzsystems wird als Referenzrahmen bezeichnet und ist durch Positionen zu einer Bezugsepoche und durch zeitlich lineare Bewegungen global verteilter Stationen festgelegt. Verschiedene Satellitenbeobachtungsverfahren können kombiniert werden, um ein globales terrestrisches Referenzsystem höchstmöglicher Genauigkeit, Stabilität und Konsistenz zu realisieren. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit fanden dazu GPS- und GLONASS-Beobachtungen der Globalen Navigationssatellitensysteme (engl. Global Navigation Satellite System - GNSS) und Laserentfernungsmessungen (engl. Satellite Laser Ranging - SLR) zu den passiven Satelliten LAGEOS-1 und LAGEOS-2 Anwendung. Die Datengrundlage sind tägliche Normalgleichungssysteme für GNSS und wöchentliche für SLR über einen Zeitraum von 17 Jahren (1994 - 2010). Diese entstammen einer homogenen Reprozessierung, welche unter der Beteiligung der TU München, der Universität Bern, der ETH Zürich und der TU Dresden erfolgte. Dabei wurden Reduktionsmodelle verwendet, welche sich an den aktuellen IERS-Konventionen orientieren. Die verschiedenen Satellitenbeobachtungsverfahren wurden mit der gleichen wissenschaftlichen Software ausgewertet und kombiniert. Die Lösung weist daher eine höchstmögliche Konsistenz auf. In Anlehnung an die Empfehlungen in den aktuellen IERS-Konventionen wurden Auflastdeformationen infolge von Massenvariationen in der Atmosphäre und im Ozean im Auswerteprozess berücksichtigt. Dazu fand ein Modell Anwendung, welches schon bei der Reduktion von Beobachtungen der Schwerefeldmission GRACE (engl. Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) genutzt wird. Die Berücksichtigung dieses Modells führt zu einer Verbesserung der Genauigkeit der GNSS- und SLR-Stationspositionen. Da die SLR-Stationspositionen aufgrund eines systematischen Effektes (engl. blue sky effect) leicht verfälscht sind, sollte dieser Effekt berücksichtigt werden. Dies gilt vor allem vor dem Hintergrund einer Kombination der Verfahren zur Realisierung eines globalen terrestrischen Referenzsystems höchster Genauigkeit. Darüber hinaus überlagern weitere nichtlineare geophysikalische Effekte das lineare Modell aus Positionen und Geschwindigkeiten, z.B. die Auflastdeformation infolge kontinentaler Wasserspeicheränderungen. Werden diese Effekte in einer Auswertung nicht reduziert, sind in den ausgeglichenen Parametern sogenannte residuale Deformationen enthalten. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde daher das lineare Modell erweitert, indem residuale Deformationen in Form einer sphärisch harmonischen Entwicklung parametrisiert wurden. Die daraus bestimmten Grad-1-Auflastkoeffizienten weisen ein starkes jährliches Signal auf, welches sowohl die GNSS- als auch die SLR-Lösung zeigen. Die Kombination von GNSS und SLR erfolgte auf Normalgleichungsebene. Um die individuellen Stärken der Verfahren optimal ausnutzen zu können, wurden für eine gegenseitige Gewichtung der Verfahren realistische Genauigkeitsmaße abgeleitet. Es wurden Stationspositionen und -geschwindigkeiten geschätzt sowie die Polkoordinaten und die Grad-1-Auflastkoeffizienten gemeinsam ausgewertet. Im Gegensatz zu den bisherigen Referenzrahmen wurden keine terrestrisch gemessenen Differenzvektoren (engl. Local Ties - LT) an Kolokationsstationen verwendet, um die verfahrensinternen Lösungen zu kombinieren. Mit einer entsprechenden Definition des geodätischen Datums konnten hingegen Komponenten der LT als Unbekannte aus einer globalen Lösung bestimmt werden. Dies ermöglichte eine unabhängige Validierung der LT, welche einen entscheidenden Punkt in der Kombination unterschiedlicher Verfahren darstellen. / One of the main tasks of geodesy is the definition and realization of reference systems. A global terrestrial reference system is realized by a reference frame of a set of positions which respect to a reference epoch and linear motions of a network of globally distributed stations on the Earth's surface. Different space geodetic techniques can be combined to realize a reference system with optimal accuracy, stability and consistency. As such, the focus of this thesis was to apply GPS and GLONASS of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) to LAGEOS-1 and LAGEOS-2 to determine an improved global terrestrial reference frame. The data are daily for GNSS and weekly for SLR normal equation systems over a time span of 17 years (1994 - 2010), produced from a homogeneous reprocessing. This was done through a joint effort of TU Munich, University of Bern, ETH Zurich and TU Dresden using common state of the art reducing models according to the IERS conventions. The same processing software was used to evaluate and combine the different geodetic systems to ensure the highest consistency. Utilizing the recommendations of the IERS conventions 2010, the displacement of the Earth's surface due to mass variations in the atmosphere and in the ocean was reduced from the observations. A model of the non-tidal part which is also used for the reduction of observations of the geodetic gravity mission GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) was applied. The reduction of this model enhances the position accuracy of the GNSS and SLR position time series. Because of the systematic effect on SLR observations (blue sky effect) the surface load deformation should be reduced especially when combining SLR and GNSS to realize a global terrestrial system. In addition there are more geophysical effects on the station positions, for example the deformation of the Earth's surface due to continental hydrological loading. If such effects are not considered in the estimation process of geodetic observations, residual deformations are present in the estimated parameters. Therefore, this effort included modeling of deformation in the solution by using a consistent spherical harmonic approach of degree-one surface load coefficients. The residual deformations such as hydrological loading modeled with degree-one surface load coefficients have a strong annual signal for which the GNSS-only and the SLR-only solutions show the same variations. The combination of GNSS and SLR was done at the level of normal equations. Considering the strengths of each technique, an optimal weighting based on more realistic uncertainties was applied to the data. The pole coordinates and the degree-one surface load coefficients were combined. Unique to the most recent realizations of a global terrestrial reference system, no local ties (LT) of co-located sites were used in the combination of the different techniques. Thus, using a global solution together with an appropriate definition of the geodetic datum of the combined station network it was possible to estimate components of LT. This estimation enables an independent validation of the measured LT which are a crucial point in combination of different geodetic techniques.

This thesis sets out to explore factors external to the individual that encourage creative idea generation in SME environments, understanding their importance in a variety of organisational contexts. The original contribution to knowledge made by this thesis is the creation of a framework which aids understanding by splitting the various factors into those responsible for initiating and sustaining idea generation. Literature concerning creative idea generation is continuously developing and contains a broad spectrum of topics and understandings. Key amongst these are leadership, the nature of creative idea generation, theories such as the ‘strength of weak ties’, collective creativity and the concept of ‘flow’. Fieldwork followed a primarily qualitative, inductive approach, using exploratory surveys, semi-structured interviews and participant observation to develop rich narrative ‘stories’ of idea generation for ten different organisations. Data was analysed in accordance with the principles of grounded theory and resulted in numerous novel findings such as the importance of internal organisational contacts to the development of ideas, the notion that organisational visions can be used to guide idea generation and the effect that physical distance has on the development of interpersonal ties. Leadership also featured heavily within the analysis process with it being found that a combination of transformational and servant qualities best enables idea generation in SME contexts. These and other findings were reflected in the final framework produced by this thesis. From a practical perspective findings from this study arguably have implications for both organisational and leadership development in SME contexts, although overall generalisability is hindered by the chosen sample. Future studies could potentially focus on applying quantitative methodologies to verify the final framework or extend understandings by interlinking organisational factors discussed by this thesis with individual characteristics, mental process and/or experiences that are also known to drive creative idea production.

This thesis is an ethnography of Palestinian political factions in Lebanon through an immersion in the daily life of homes. It explores the nature of factions and faction membership from the vantage point of those who form their very basis. It asks how did Palestinian political factions, which are clearly made of people, come to be seen as autonomous bodies that are studied as a whole and spoken of in the singular (‘Fatah did this’ and ‘Hamas declared that’). Through a detailed account of the everyday practices of Palestinian refugees I problematise the underlying conceptualization of factions in the academic literature as bounded structures defined by their respective ideologies. I explore how factions appear in the daily life of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; how Palestinians join factions; how their relationship evolves over time; how they demand, and at times obtain, aid; how and whether they participate in events organized by factions; and how factionalism affects their understandings of what factions are. This ethnographic approach reveals that what binds Palestinian refugees to factions is not the ideology or regional or international alliances of the factions. For example, young Palestinians do not join a faction based on whether it is Islamic, Marxist, or nationalist; rather they do so based on where they have friends or family, and sometimes depending on which faction has the closest youth centre to their home. In fact, it is those personal relationships, including those developed with other faction members that keep Palestinians affiliated to factions. Factions appear as a loose network of people held together by different degrees of trust and cohesion. Yet my work does not dismiss the fact that factions also appear as structures, as coherent entities. On the contrary, in the second part of this thesis, I trace another set of practices, that of aid distribution, criticism, physical representation, and factionalism, to show how factions metamorphose from loose networks based on interpersonal relations into impersonal structures defined by ideology. An examination of the everyday practices and representations of Palestinian political factions reveals how those structures come into being, how that operation creates and maintains a certain configuration of power in Palestinian society, and how factions remain the center of political life in the face of widespread condemnation.

The present research examines the role of social ties and team-member exchange quality (TMX) in enabling small business owners involved in formal networking groups to gain access to new business. I report on data from two studies. First, initial data from a pilot study of 23 small business owners in networking groups revealed that more numerous social ties and more positive perceptions of team-member exchange quality (TMX) predicted performance outcomes. Specifically, individuals who had more numerous social ties within a networking group, and who reported higher TMX perceptions of their group, received significantly more referrals to potential clients compared to individuals who had numerous social ties but lower perceptions of TMX. Second, using a sample of 336 small business owners across 24 networking groups I built on these initial results, and incorporated an expanded theoretical framework, to explore how and when social ties and TMX influence the effectiveness of small business owners in networking groups. Specifically, I draw on the literatures related to social network theory, team-member exchange quality and affective organizational commitment to guide my exploration of the effectiveness of small business owners in networking groups. Data support the conclusion that both social ties and team-member exchange are important factors predicting the performance outcomes of small business owners in networking groups. Further, the data illustrate the mediating role of affective organizational commitment between the relation of social ties and team-member exchange on performance outcomes. I discuss implications and describe areas for future research based on these findings.

Two contrasting notions have been put forward on how social capital may influence individual effectiveness in organizations. Burt (1992) sets forth the informational and control advantages that are possible by building an open network characterized by large numbers of structural holes. In contrast, Coleman (1990) and Simmel (1950) have suggested that network closure, exemplified by large numbers of Simmelian ties, enables actors to develop trust, cohesiveness, and norms which contribute to effectiveness. Simmelian ties are strong, reciprocal ties shared by three actors. It is proposed that an actor's network cannot be dominated by both structural holes and Simmelian ties. Thus, this study examines whether a moderating variable is at work. It is proposed that the actor's task interdependence in the workplace influences the relationship between network closure and individual effectiveness. Actors in less task interdependent environments will benefit especially from the information and control benefits afforded by a network characterized by structural holes. Conversely, actors in highly interdependent environments will benefit especially from the creation of trust and cooperation that result from large numbers of Simmelian ties. Data was collected on 113 subjects in three organizations. Subjects were asked to rate the strength of their relationship with all organization members and their own level of task interdependence. Contrary to expectations, nearly all subjects reported high levels of task interdependence. Raters in each organization provided individual effectiveness measures for all subjects. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical set regression and bivariate correlation. The results indicated support for the hypothesized relationship of Simmelian ties with task interdependence. When examining all cases, no support was found for the hypothesized relationship of structural holes and Simmelian ties with individual effectiveness and of structural holes with task interdependence. Nonetheless, additional analyses provided some indication of an association between Simmelian ties and individual effectiveness. Task interdependence did not moderate the relationships between either Simmelian ties or structural holes and individual effectiveness.

The purpose of this study is to explore the important factors that affect graduate employment such as human capital, social capital and university career services. It focuses on the graduate labour market in the UK and uses mixed methods. While quantitative data derive from a survey, qualitative data come from interviews and secondary sources in a case study. The survey includes 947 university graduates and qualitative data consist of 8 interviews, internal and external reports. The findings show that the level of human capital and social capital affect the way graduates find a job and the use of social capital in job searches varies by ethnicity, age and academic level. However, gender and academic discipline do not affect the use of social capital in the UK graduate labour market. Moreover, the study shows that university career services can play an important role in job searches. Overall, however, direct application and online career services are two most widely used methods to find a job. The originality of the research is twofold. Firstly, it illustrates the relationship between two important components in graduates’ job search processes: human capital and social capital. Secondly, it examines the role of an institution: university career services and displays the importance of institutional approaches in building a bridge between students and employers.